Free Credit Report

Request a free annual credit report from www.freecreditreport.gov today. It is the only official source of reliable and accurate credit report that is free of charge.

The FTC or Federal Trade Commission was established in the year 1914 and since then, it has protected consumers from fraud, deception and unfair business practices. In partner with three of the most trustworthy credit assessment firms in the country (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion), the FTC has made it possible for consumers to request a free credit report online, by phone or by mail. Find out more on freecreditreport.gov.

More About FreeCreditReport

AnnualCreditReport.com aims to provide consumers a safe and easy way to get a free annual credit report under the federal law. Each consumer may request an assessment from Equifax, Experian or TransUnion once every year for whatever purpose he or she sees fit.

In this way, FTC is able to protect consumers from any form of fraud and prevent anticompetitive mergers and business practices in the industry. Moreover, keeping a close eye on your credit report will help you monitor your payment history and correct any errors before it gets out of hand. To avoid becoming a victim of fraud or any illegal financial activity, make it a habit to check your credit report annually.

Requesting for a Free Credit Report is a quick and hassle-free process; make sure you take the time to do it! In addition, having an updated credit report in hand makes applying for a loan, insurance or employment much more convenient.

How to Request for a Free Annual Credit Report

Things you will need to begin your request:

• A computer that is connected to the internet.
• You need to have some of your personal information ready – name, birthdate, current address and Social Security number.

Steps in filing your request:

1. On http://www.freecreditreport.gov, look for the link of AnnualCreditReport.com and click on it. Of course, you have the option to request for your free review via phone and mail too.
2. Indicate the state you live in before clicking on ‘Request Report’.
3. The next page will require you to type in your personal information (name, birthdate, address and Social Security number). After entering the information on their respective fields, click on ‘Continue’.
4. Indicate if you want to get all three reports at once or if you’re filing for just one request. Click on ‘Next’ to proceed.
5. Answer the following security questions and follow the remaining instructions on the next page to successfully file your request.
6. Go over the free credit report provided to check for errors. If everything looks accurate, you may print a copy by simply clicking on the button that says ‘Print’.
7. Refer to the FAQ page: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/helpfaq for further queries.

Summary

A credit report is an important requisite for many things including a loan application and a job application. If you want to get a free copy of your annual credit report, you may file a request at AnnualCreditReport.com. The process is very safe and easy and you will get your copy in no time!

Can a collection be removed from your credit report?

A collection can usually be removed when it belongs to someone else, resulted from identity theft, appears more than once, lists incorrect details, or cannot be verified. Accurate negative information generally cannot be removed simply because it hurts your credit or because you paid the debt.

Do not pay a credit repair company that promises to erase accurate collections. No company can guarantee that result. Paying a collection may change its status to paid, but it does not automatically delete the account from your credit report.

How to dispute an incorrect collection

1. Write down the collection agency’s name, the account number, the original creditor, and every detail that is wrong.
2. Gather copies of supporting records. These may include payment confirmations, account statements, identity-theft records, or letters showing that the account is not yours. Keep the originals.
3. File a dispute with each credit reporting company that shows the collection. Identify the exact item, explain the error, request correction or removal, and attach your evidence.
4. Send a separate written dispute to the collection agency or other company that supplied the information. Use the dispute address shown on the report or in the company’s notice.
5. Save copies of everything you submit, along with confirmation that it was received.

A vague statement such as “this is not mine” may not provide enough information for an investigation. Give a short, specific reason and match each claim to a document when possible.

What to do after filing the dispute

Read the investigation result carefully. If the information is found to be wrong or cannot be verified, the company that reported it should update or remove it and notify the credit reporting companies. Check every report where the collection appeared because a correction on one report may not immediately appear on another.

If the collection remains, compare the response with the evidence you sent. You can submit a new dispute when you have additional documents, ask the credit reporting company to add a brief statement explaining the unresolved dispute, or submit a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Legal help may be appropriate if a collection that is not yours continues to be reported despite clear proof.

If the collection is accurate

Contact the collector before making a payment and ask how the account will be reported afterward. You may request deletion as part of a written agreement, sometimes called a pay-for-delete request, but the collector is not required to accept it. Get any agreement in writing before paying.

If deletion is not offered, resolve the debt only after confirming that the collector and account are legitimate and that the proposed terms are clear. Keep the agreement and proof of payment. Then check that the reported balance and payment status were updated correctly. Dispute any remaining factual error, but do not claim that an accurate account is fraudulent.